Brick & Mortar Reborn

Bridging the Omni-Channel Divide: Insights from Oracle NetSuite’s Allison Auclair on Crafting Seamless Customer Experiences

Running an omnichannel business involves a lot of different moving parts for your online and offline locations, but how do you connect all those moving parts to provide your customers with the most seamless experience? Today’s guest says that’s one of the biggest challenges her customers face. Allison Auclair is the Vice President of Product Management at Oracle NetSuite. In today’s episode, she discusses how customers use NetSuite, why creating a great customer experience is so important, and how to win customers in an omnichannel world. Listen to the episode to hear what she has to say about the importance of making connections between services to create a more seamless experience.
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ Allison’s background✔ What customers come to NetSuite for✔ Use cases for NetSuite✔ Changes that Allison witnessed during the pandemic era✔ Allison’s favorite in-location experiences✔ Why creating a great customer experience is more important than ever✔ Brand optimization issues that customers bring to Allison✔ The keys to winning customers in an omnichannel world✔ What customers need to do before calling NetSuite✔ Technology that Allison expects to take off on the brick-and-mortar side of things✔ Advice on what not to do✔ What retailers should do first✔ Thinking about fracture points in the customer experience✔ Allison’s favorite local places to visit
Resources:
Allison Auclair
QUOTES:
“One of the biggest challenges I see customers come in with is connecting the experience together.”
“There are only so many things that I’m willing to go in person and it’s usually because it’s something I want to touch and feel and see and experience in person.”
“The other part, I think, of making that seamless experience is having all of your different fulfillment options everywhere.”

Navigating the New Retail Landscape: Pamela Erlichman on Enhancing In-Store Experiences with Jebbit Technology

Online experiences became more important for brands during the pandemic, which has led to a lot of creativity when it comes to services like Jebbit. But how does that translate to in-store shopping? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Pamela Erlichman, Chief Marketing Officer at Jebbit. She discusses how Jebbit technology works and how customers use it, what declared data is and how it’s used, and how Jebbit can be used in-store as well as online.
 
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ What Pamela does at Jebbit✔ How to interact with Jebbit technology✔ Success customers have with Jebbit✔ How consumer behavior has changed recently✔ Value drivers that may have changed for customers since COVID✔ What declared data is✔ What customers say about how declared data changes the way they provide experiences to their customers✔ How Jebbit can accentuate experiences in locations✔ What technology we’re going to see more of✔ Brands Pamela loves✔ How brands will extend their experience into locations✔ Advice Pamela would give retailers to improve their marketing strategy
 
Resources:
Pamela Erlichman
 
QUOTES:
“Giving something of benefit and value to begin with is a much better way to engage.”
“Declared data is a form of first-party data that is directly given by consumers.”
“Purpose. Convenience. Giving you a minute of reprieve. All of those things matter.”

Digital Doorsteps: Andre Hordagoda on Bridging the Gap Between In-Store and Remote Shopping Experiences

The demand for digital, remote shopping services has only grown since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The company co-founded by today’s guest has been around for years, but you can understand how they would have picked up in usage since early last year. Andre Hordagoda cofounded Go Instore, a service that allows consumers to use video to talk to sales personnel and shop, giving them an in-store experience but from their homes. Listen in to today’s interview to learn more about Andre, how his company’s technology works, and what drives customers to make purchases.
 
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ Andre’s background✔ Go Instore’s technology✔ How the technology works for the customer✔ What clients see when they visit the website✔ The biggest changes in consumer behavior over the pandemic✔ Value drivers that move customers to purchase✔ Andre’s favorite stores to experience and visit✔ Technology that Andre sees in the future of retail✔ What Andre is excited about in the future
 
Resources:
André Hordagoda
 
QUOTES:
“There’s a massive difference between a website’s performance and a physical store’s performance.”
“It’s taken us seven years and a global pandemic to become an overnight success.”
“We have been doing live-streaming for four years. We were pioneers. We did it before it was big in .”

Redefining Retail Spaces: Peter Tonstad on Post-Pandemic Strategies to Boost Foot Traffic and Enhance Customer Engagement

It’s not always obvious how a shopping center or mall can engage consumers and pull in foot traffic, but today’s client has ideas. Peter Tonstad is the CEO of Placewise, a company that works with malls and other types of shopping centers to attract customers, benefit tenants, and bridge online and offline gaps. Listen in to hear what Peter has to say about what should be done differently post-pandemic, how malls can successfully engage shoppers, and what smaller strip centers can do to build foot traffic.
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ How Peter got started with Placewise✔ What Placewise’s typical clients are like✔ What needs to be done differently post-COVID✔ The different dynamics in the evolution of shopping centers✔ How malls and large shopping centers attract customers back✔ Bridging the gap between online and offline✔ Ways that malls can measure their success in engaging shoppers✔ How smaller strip centers can create footfall✔ What Peter does to coach clients to create focus areas for clients✔ Why clients want to work with Placewise✔ In-store experiences that Peter likes✔ What’s going to be important for shopping centers to embrace✔ The future of malls and shopping centers✔ Fun things to do in Norway
Resources:
Peter Tonstad
QUOTES:
“Yes, footfall is challenged by e-commerce, and it’s also challenged by let’s say overrepresentation of physical retail in general.”
“I think the key is: malls serve as community offerings.”
“It’s more complex technically to serve a shopping center.”

Bridging Virtual and Physical Retail: Oscar Sachs on Enhancing In-Store Experiences with Online Engagement

What does online shopping really have to do with driving customers into the store? What if you learned that in-store experiences often start outside the store and that some of the best in-store experiences start online? That’s what today’s guest will be talking about.
Oscar Sachs is the Co-Founder and CEO of Salesfloor. Listen to his interview to learn how the platform works, how store associates can use the platform even with in-store customers, and how virtual shopping can be used to drive more consumers in-store.
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ Oscar’s history and background✔ The Salesfloor platform✔ How store associates engage with the in-store customer✔ How an in-store experience starts outside the store✔ Whether consumer behavior patterns have changed in the last few years✔ Whether the person needed for a store associate role has changed✔ How virtual selling affects in-store traffic✔ Oscar’s favorite in-store experiences✔ The future of tech inside of retail stores✔ Oscar’s tips for retailers✔ Fun things to do in Montreal
Resources:
Oscar Sachs
QUOTES:
“I’m not just saying “hey do you want to buy a pair of pants?” I’m showing them how to create outfits.”
“It’s time for retailers to say I need to bring what made me great in-store and made my brand so successful, I need to bring that online.”
“We have technology that measures how store interactions online are directly driving customers in-store to purchase.”

Rekindling Retail Connections: Chris Kaighn on the Changing Landscape and Revitalizing Francesca’s Customer Experience

Fashion retailers have been through a difficult period, but at this point, their customers miss them as much as they miss their customers. Chris Kaighn is the Senior Vice President – Boutiques, Real Estate, and Strategic Partnerships at Francesca’s. Listen in to hear what she has to say about changes she’s seen in the landscape during her time in this role, the top demands of her customers, and what to look for in associates.
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ Chris’s background and current role✔ Who Chris serves in her role at Francesca’s✔ Recent changes Chris has seen✔ What parts of the experience Chris focuses on✔ Top demands of customers✔ What “free to be you” is all about✔ What differentiates Francesca’s✔ Technology that needs to be implemented in Francesca’s locations✔ How important it is to address diversity and inclusion✔ Top skills that Chris looks for in associates✔ Empowering the workforce✔ How to get people excited about coming back to locations✔ How Chris is thinking about the future of Francesca’s✔ Experiences that Chris loves from other brands✔ What Chris thinks people should do in Columbus
Resources:
Chris Kaighn
QUOTES:
“I think for that customer, it’s critical that we stand for something.”
“We need to make our brand the employer of choice out there.”
“How we serve is just as important as who we serve.”

Navigating Hyper-Wellness: Jim Donnelly on Scaling, Unique Services, and Creating Wow Moments

What is hyper-wellness? How do you blend medical services with non-medical services, while meeting all of the regulations and requirements involved? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Jim Donnelly of Restore Hyper Wellness and Cryotherapy. Listen in to hear what Jim has to say about how he knew when to scale, what makes his services unique, and what makes people say “wow” when using his services.
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ Jim’s background and how he got started with Restore✔ Important lessons Jim learned through marketing and how they helped him build Restore✔ The signal to scale✔ The things that make Restore unique✔ What gives people a “wow” moment after visiting a Restore location✔ Critical technology for Restore✔ Jim’s favorite in-store experiences✔ Advice for small retailers trying to create a brand identity✔ The critical time when Jim decided on franchising✔ How Jim built up the store during COVID
Resources:
Jim Donnelly
QUOTES:
“We said from the beginning we’re going to make it open, transparent, and social. And throw a little bit of fun on there.”
“We’re lucky in that we have a product that applies to the vast majority of the population.”
“I happen to like the fact that what we do is complex and has a lot of nuance to it.”
“That’s the number-one principle around hyper wellness. You have to walk out feeling better than you walked in.”

Revolutionizing Retail: Tapping into the Untapped Power of SMS with Brian Malkerson

You’re already familiar with SMS messages, but you may not be familiar with their power as a marketing channel. Today’s guest works for a company that harnesses that power and uses it to drive consumers into their customers’ retail location. Listen in to today’s interview with Brian Malkerson, Chief Revenue Officer at Attentive. Today, Brian discusses what it was like building Attentive, how customers work with a company like Attentive, and how people on the consumer end interact with the Attentive platform.”
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ Brian’s background✔ What it was like building Attentive from the ground up✔ The typical customer for Attentive✔ How customers use Attentive✔ How does a company that wants to get into SMS marketing work with a company like Attentive✔ How consumers interact with the platform✔ Strategies retailers look for in a text messaging campaign✔ Whether consumers are comfortable communicating with brands via SMS✔ How retailers are engaging shoppers in-store✔ Attentive’s content team ✔ Value drivers that may have changed over the past few years ✔ Favorite in-store experiences that Brian has seen ✔ Technologies that we’re going to see in the next 10 years ✔ Cool things that Brian recommends doing in New York
Resources:
Brian Malkerson
Attentive

QUOTES:
“We’re happy to jump on a quick call and walk anyone through just to educate them on the space, even if now is not the right time or they’re looking at other options.”
“If you can’t do something at scale and have high-quality users, then no marketing channel is going to be very effective.”
“I think that’s kind of the million-dollar question for a lot of people is first early last year, “how do we quickly adapt to this environment?”

Reimagining Retail Workforce Management: A Conversation with Ceridian’s John Orr

How important is workforce management and what tools do employers use to do it? Listen in to today’s interview with John Orr, the SVP Retail at Ceridian. In today’s episode, he talks about the customer use cases for Ceridian’s services, the challenges that brick-and-mortar spaces are currently facing, and how customers are thinking about employee treatment, retention, and workforce management since the pandemic.
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ John’s background✔ What Ceridian does✔ Customer use cases for Ceridian’s services✔Why customers come back to Ceridian✔ Challenges that brick-and-mortar retail spaces face✔ How workforce management technology makes an impact on brick-and-mortar stores✔ Why engagement is important✔ What Ceridian is thinking about the future of engagement✔ Tools that retailers employ to manage their workforce✔ Customers that John has worked with to improve the in-store performance of employees ✔ Guidance for retailers on changes that have happened in consumer behavior patterns ✔ Bringing employee engagement and customer experience together ✔ What John is excited about technology-wise ✔ Fun things to do in Atlanta
Resources:
John Orr
Ceridian

QUOTES:
“We span all sectors of retail, and in our vernacular, retail includes hospitality.”
“I think they buy the technology and the platform and they stay for the service.”
“We’re all trying to do one-to-one marketing with our customers, and their experience. The same holds true for the employees.”

Stepping Into the Future: Alper Aydemir on Revolutionizing Footwear Retail with Volumental Technology

Footwear can fit better and feel better, and Volumental is proving it. Today’s episode features Alper Aydemir, the CEO and co-founder of Volumental. Listen in to hear more about what Volumental does and what the role of Volumental and similar technology is in the future of retail. In today’s episode, Alper discusses what his typical clients are like, how the company’s tech works with the client, and what technology retailers should be thinking about for the future.
Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:
✔ Alper’s history with Volumental✔ Why Alper started his own company✔ What Volumental is all about✔ Who Volumental’s typical clients are✔ How Volumental’s tech works with its clients✔ Whether there’s more interest in Volumental’s product now✔ Whether Alper is seeing a change in consumer behaviors✔ Why in-location experiences matter✔ Alper’s favorite in-store experiences✔ What retailers need to be thinking about on the technology side
Resources:
Alper Aydemir
Volumental

QUOTES:
“One thing that has happened throughout last year is we made something like 8 years’ worth of progress in e-commerce in 8 months.”
“It doesn’t cut it anymore to just have a picture and a size dropdown. Everyone has that.”
“You own your own body data and how things fit you, and you’ll be able to carry that from place to place and get the best experience.”